nophoto.pngMaurice Atwood

Head Coach
Career Record: 340-31 (245-11 at Parkland)

 

Maurice Atwood was named as the 8th Head Coach in Parkland wrestling history in May of 2004. He was faced with the challenge of taking over a program with no returning state qualifiers, and only 13 returning participants. Three years later, the Mustangs won their first State Dual Championship since 1996 and the programs first outright State Tournament Championship.

His first year at Parkland saw the team finish with a 28-8 record, and six state qualifiers. The 28 dual wins surpassed the previous mark for most in school history.

The 2005-06 season, Coach Atwood's second at Parkland, saw the team post a 42-3 record which included a win over the eventual 3A State Dual Champion Morehead Panthers before losing to Ragsdale in the 2nd round of the State Dual playoffs. The season also saw Bryan Young, a second year wrestler, win the 3A 275 Lbs. State Championship. Young was one of five state qualifiers for Parkland, four of which placed giving Parkland their first top 5 finish in the State Tournament since 1998.

Coach Atwood's third season, 2006-07, saw Parkland regain status as one of North Carolina’s elite programs. The team went 46-0 en route to winning the 3A State Dual Championship, as well as winning the 3A State Tournament Championship on the strength of seven out of eight state qualifiers placing. The program also broke the National Records for Points Scored in a Season and Pins in a Season.

Parklands 2007-08 season was one that will go down in North Carolina history. The team again went undefeated, posting a 44-0 record, en route to winning their second consecutive 3A State Dual & State Tournament Championships. The story though is the manner in which they did it. The Mustangs broke ten state records and tied two others. As well as re-breaking their own National Records for Points Scored in a Season and Pins in a Season, this time also breaking the National Record for Average Margin of Victory in Dual Meets. The team sent a State Record 13 wrestlers to the State Tournament, all 13 of which placed including five who won individual State Championships.

The 2008-09 season began with the rumor of Parkland’s demise since their record-breaking season the year before had been accomplished with 11 seniors in the line-up. However, those rumors soon proved false as Parkland become the first program in North Carolina to win both the State Dual Championship and the State Tournament Championship three straight years. Along the way they posted a 43-0 dual record, took nine wrestlers to the State Tournament, seven of which placed, five of which made it to the Championship Finals, and three of which won State Championships.

Parkland headed into the 2009-10 season prepared to make the jump to 4A with a 133 dual win-streak, which by early December became the longest streak in state history surpassing the previous record of 140 set by Boone Appalachian in the 1960's. The program would continue to run up dual victories, finishing the dual portion of the season with a 38-14 victory over defending 4A State Champion Cary to claim the 4A State Dual Championship and run the win-streak to 175, which is the fourth longest documented streak in National history. The team then made history yet again by qualifying all fourteen wrestlers for states, ten of which would place at states to include three who would claim first, en route to Parkland winning the 4A State Tournament Championship.

Coach Atwood and the Parkland program head into the 2010-11 season with a 175 match dual win-streak.

Prior to becoming Head Coach at Parkland, Coach Atwood spent one year as Head Coach at Forsyth Country Day filling in for Pat Rimron, a friend of Coach Atwood’s who had been called to active duty in the War on Terror, as well as spending three seasons as Co-Head Coach with Jason Hooker at Mount Tabor, where their 2000-01 team won the 4A State Tournament and State Dual Championships.

Coach Atwood started off his coaching career as an Assistant Coach under Steve Hayes at Mount Tabor where he spent five seasons before taking a two year hiatus. Coach Atwood returned to the sport as an Assistant Coach at R.J. Reynolds where he stayed for four seasons.

As a competitor, Coach Atwood wrestled for R.J. Reynolds High School, Wilkes Community College, and Carson Newman.

Head Coaching Record

Year

Program

Record

Accomplishments

2000-01

Mount Tabor

28-0

4A State Dual & Tournament Champions

2001-02

Mount Tabor

21-3

4A State Tournament Runners-Up

2002-03

Forsyth Country Day

29-4

Third Place at NCISAA State Tournament

2003-04

Mount Tabor

17-13

Qualified for State Dual Playoffs

2004-05

Parkland

28-8

Qualified for State Dual Playoffs

2005-06

Parkland

42-3

Conference Champions, Regional Runners-Up

2006-07

Parkland

46-0

3A State Dual & Tournament Champions

2007-08

Parkland

44-0

3A State Dual & Tournament Champions

2008-09

Parkland

43-0

3A State Dual & Tournament Champions

2009-10

Parkland

42-0

4A State Dual & Tournament Champions

 

Asst. Coaching Career

Year

Program

Record

1989-90

Mount Tabor

12-4-1

1990-91

Mount Tabor

19-2-1

1991-92

Mount Tabor

14-5

1992-93

Mount Tabor

21-1-1

1993-94

Mount Tabor

13-4

1994-95

Did Not Coach

N/A

1995-96

Did Not Coach

N/A

1996-97

R.J. Reynolds

5-13

1997-98

R.J. Reynolds

14-13

1998-99

R.J. Reynolds

20-4

1999-2000

R.J. Reynolds

29-6